Nigeria Times

By Fu Wen, Chen Shihan, People’s Daily

Located in southeast China’s Fujian province, Quanzhou is one of the most important Chinese ports along the historic Maritime Silk Road. “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 25, 2021, bringing the total number of China’s UNESCO World Heritage sites to 56.

The serial property encompasses 22 sites of administrative buildings and structures, such as the Site of the Maritime Trade Office, the Confucius Temple, and the Kaiyuan Temple. They bear witness to the city’s prosperous maritime trade and reflect its inclusiveness and commitment to opening up.

Apart from the exceptional heritage preservation efforts, Quanzhou has been working on the deep integration of culture and tourism to maintain its historical features and revitalize its intangible cultural heritage.

In 2023, Quanzhou’s tourism revenue surged 68.9 percent year on year to 100.24 billion yuan ($13.79 billion). The city welcomed nearly 86.53 million tourists home and abroad, a year-on-year increase of 53.9 percent.

At around 10:00 am, Jinyu Alley, in Licheng District of Quanzhou, became bustling with life. The alley is named after “golden fish” in Chinese with its origin dating back to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). It showcases the charm of the city’s traditional architecture and epitomizes its cultural essence. At its entrance gathered groups of tourists, taking photos with the decorative golden fish patterns.

Just a short distance south of the alley is Zhongshan Road, which runs from north to south through Quanzhou. The road houses the well-preserved qilou building complex, a quintessential architectural style in southern China. Strolling along the road, visitors can embrace a sense of leisure and relaxation.

Quanzhou is home to a number of Chinese ancient city gates, such as the Chaotian Gate, Quanshan Gate and Deji Gate, standing as silent witnesses to the city’s profound history. The original signboards of many time-honored establishments also serve as nostalgic reminders of the city’s bustling trade history.

In Quanzhou’s Ancient City, located in Licheng District with a total area of 6.41 square kilometers, there are eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Kaiyuan Temple, the Confucius Temple, and the site of the Southern Clan Office. The abundant historical relics, well-preserved ancient urban layout, and bustling crowds in the city all provide a captivating glimpse into its past prosperity and grandeur.

However, in the past, the Ancient City looked different from how it does now: cables were haphazardly installed between severely aged houses, and sewage would flow across the streets when it rained. As a result, many original inhabitants had moved away, and the once vibrant atmosphere of the city gradually faded away.

In 2017, a renovation project kicked off in Quanzhou. Following the principle of exerting minimal impact on the daily lives of residents, the city adopted a series of science-based plans and management measures. The project mainly included upgrading the building facades, burying cables underground, paving roads, enhancing the city’s night view, and integrating cultural elements into the landscape design. The extensive renovation has successfully brought back the charm of the Ancient City.

“Our goal is to protect not just the ancient buildings, but also the city’s authentic way of life and its cultural heritage that has evolved and flourished over thousands of years,” said He Zhenliang, head of the cultural heritage preservation and management office of the Confucius Temple, Quanzhou.

Quanzhou string puppetry was inscribed into the first batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage list as early as 2006. In recent years, a large number of young people have joined in the efforts to protect and inherit this art form, infusing it with fresh vitality.

According to Li Yunfeng, an inheritor of Quanzhou palm puppetry, another type of Quanzhou puppetry, young people in their thirties now make up the majority of the staff members at the Palm Puppetry Art Protection and Inheritance Center in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, which he works for.

“We perform more than 400 shows each year,” said Li.

Puppetry is not the only traditional art in Quanzhou that has been passed down for generations.

As the sun set, people gradually took their seats at the Nanyin Pavilion, sipping tea and enjoying the melodious tunes. Every week, the pavilion holds four free performances.

Nanyin is one of China’s oldest music styles and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, often referred to as the “living fossil” in Chinese music history. It holds a special place in the hearts of Quanzhou locals, evoking nostalgic memories from their childhood.

Currently, Quanzhou is home to six UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage elements, 36 intangible cultural heritage projects at China’s national level, and 128 at China’s provincial level, said He Yibin, deputy head of Quanzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau.

According to He, Quanzhou has set up 12 museums of intangible cultural heritage, 166 venues for the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, and 1,000 halls to demonstrate intangible cultural heritage. Besides, two training sessions for intangible cultural heritage inheritors are hosted each year to help them expand the market. Besides, the intangible cultural heritage has been made more accessible through training courses on short video shooting offered to inheritors. A special fund worth 10 million yuan has also been set up to support the development of intangible cultural heritage items, such as traditional operas and Nanyin.

Today, fascinating daytime tours and beautiful night views have become new features of Quanzhou’s tourism.

In the evening, Zhongshan Road comes alive with captivating performances of martial arts, chest-slapping and acrobatic lion dances, offering an engaging experience for visitors. Art markets and music performances under old banyan trees make both locals and visitors slow down to take in the harmonious atmosphere. Puppet shows, Nanyin and traditional operas have all increased the frequency of nighttime performances.

“Quanzhou is currently working to provide a round-the-clock experience of cultural tourism. The city has become increasingly popular with the growing number of nighttime cultural and tourism consumption areas,” said an official with Quanzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau.

By Zhang Tianpei, People’s Daily

China has launched a series of policies to facilitate foreign travelers, becoming a huge magnet for tourists around the world.

Currently, foreign nationals from 54 countries are eligible for the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policies that are effective at 38 ports in 18 provincial-level regions across China. Besides, China has also allowed visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country’s coastline, and relaxed the conditions for foreign nationals to apply for port visas in the country.

China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent year on year, according to data from China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA).

“The number of foreigners visiting China is expected to continue rising in the second half of this year,” said an NIA official.

Anderson, a Danish university student, stumbled upon the information online that he was eligible for a 144-hour visa-free transit in China. Upon making this discovery, he was filled with excitement and wasted no time in booking a flight that would transfer at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, southwest China’s Sichuan province, right at the start of summer vacation.

“I love giant pandas so much. I heard that Sichuan is the hometown of giant pandas, so I’ve always wanted to visit it,” said Anderson.

“This visa-free transit policy offers much convenience. The transit procedure went really fast. It gives me another regular choice when I choose tourist destinations. I look forward to visiting more cities in China to better understand the profound Chinese history and culture and experience the splendid folk customs across the country,” he said, thumbing up to China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy.

Currently, citizens from 54 countries are exempted from visa requirements during transit for 72 or 144 hours in China when heading for a third nation. As China continues to expand its visa-free “circle of friends,” the country has witnessed a significant increase in the number of inbound tourists this year, which is giving a huge boost to its inbound tourism market, said an NIA official.

Immigration inspection departments at all ports in China have launched multiple new measures to facilitate the entries of foreign nationals, including reducing the waiting time for inspection, self-service completion of declaration forms, and establishing multilingual volunteer service teams, to provide high-quality and efficient entry services for inbound tourists.

Tourist groups each consisting of two foreigners or more, and organized or received by Chinese travel agencies, can now enter China visa-free on board cruise ships via the cruise ports in 13 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Sanya. They can stay in China for no longer than 15 days.

The adoption of the 15-day visa-free policy for international cruise tour groups came after years of successful trials across different regions in China, which began in Shanghai in October 2016. Official data showed that since the inception of the pilot initiative, Shanghai has experienced an annual average growth of 10 percent in cruise tourist arrivals.

Now the policy has been expanded to more Chinese cities, which will help to attract more foreign cruise ships to Chinese cruise ports, driving the cruise industry and port development.

Besides, seven cruise ports, namely Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai, have been designated as visa-free transit ports for nationals from 54 countries, an NIA official noted.

At 10:00 pm on July 3, at the visa office of Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, Wang Meifang, an immigration officer with the Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, received a phone call for help from the head of a Chinese tech firm, who urgently needed to invite two foreign experts to China.

Wang explained port visa application requirements in detail, inquired about the information of the tech firm’s invitation, and guided the caller to submit online passport copies, invitation letter and relevant certificates. Everything was nailed in less than half an hour.

At 4:53 am on July 5, the two foreign experts landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. Wang had already completed preparations for visa processing in the visa office of the Terminal 3. After having their photos taken and paying visa fees, the two experts received their visas, full of praise for the efficient, fast and meticulous border inspection services.

As of now, port visa services have been provided at 100 ports in 73 cities in China that see a large number of international flights and a high volume of foreign nationals entering China.

“We welcome more foreign friends to travel, do business, work, study, and invest in China,” said an NIA official. According to the official, China issued 686,000 port visas in the first half of 2024, up 267.9 percent from a year ago.

By Yi Shuran, People’s Daily

Is it possible for the visually impaired to enjoy the pleasure of running? Absolutely!

Recently, at the Beijing Olympic Forest Park, a unique sight unfolded as a group of visually impaired individuals ran in the soft morning light, assisted by volunteers.

The runners and volunteers were connected by a 30-centimeter guide rope. Together, they swung their arms and took steps in unison, progressing from initial awkwardness to perfect coordination, from a slow walk to a brisk run.

He Yajun, who has lost all sight, said that with the help of the volunteer guides, he could enjoy the happiness of wind rushing past his ears, which boosted his confidence in better integrating into society.

It is not an easy task to help the visually impaired run. Every volunteer guide must go through professional training, during which they run with their eyes covered to understand the experience of those who cannot see.

They must stay fully concentrated and always be vigilant of the surroundings, ready to alert the runners of any subtle changes.

With their professionalism and dedication, these volunteers have become “clear eyes” for visually impaired runners.

By the end of 2023, the number of volunteers for people with disabilities in China has reached nearly 1.89 million. Together, they had provided services to those with impairment 27.76 million times.

Volunteer services for people with disabilities in China are becoming increasingly professional and diversified, expanding from simple visits and housekeeping to targeted and specialized assistance in recent years. This has further improved the living quality of those with disabilities while also providing them with emotional support, fostering a more inclusive social environment.

For instance, in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu province, a volunteer team composed of special education teachers, university students and scholars has been offering customized reading assistance for children with autism at children’s rehabilitation centers. In Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong province, volunteers who have received professional training are helping those with mental disabilities master essential life skills.

To better meet the aspirations of people with disabilities for a better life, China has adopted a forward-looking approach to align the needs of people with disabilities with available volunteer resources, aiming to further standardize and professionalize volunteer services.

In China, many regions have been actively engaging outstanding individuals from all walks of life, especially those with relevant skills, to serve as volunteers, and developing courses and textbooks for volunteer training, so as to improve the quality of volunteer services.

For example, in central China’s Hunan province, regular training sessions have been conducted to  offer courses such as “volunteer services and social governance” and “professional and sustainable development of volunteer services.” These efforts have effectively improved the professionalism of both volunteer organizations and individuals.

Besides, some regions in China have reinforced information sharing to leverage each volunteer’s expertise to address the varied needs of people with disabilities. For example, Shanghai has launched a mini program that provides end-to-end communication services between volunteers and people with disabilities to ensure quick response to their personalized demand for mobility, medical assistance, and legal consultation.

Moving forward, China will continue to build and improve relevant platforms to enhance data sharing and coordination of volunteer services region-wide and across the country, so as to make volunteer services more professional and reach more people with disabilities.

The continuous advancement of volunteer services for people with disabilities in China reveals a deeper sense of social progress and compassion.

China remains committed to improving volunteer services for people with disabilities through policy enhancement and increased funding, among others, and will continue to engage more professional and dedicated volunteers to help more people with disabilities enjoy a better life.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

The 2024 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai from July 4 to 6. The event was an important step to implement the Global Initiative for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Themed “Governing AI for Good and for All,” the conference embodied the fundamental principles of the initiative and reflected the common aspirations of the international community.

In October 2023, at the Opening Ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will put forward the Global Initiative for AI Governance, which presents a constructive approach to addressing universal concerns over AI development and governance and offers Chinese solutions to relevant international discussions and rule-making.

The initiative has provided fundamental guidance for China to participate in global AI governance and serves as an important public good that China offers the world. China has been actively implementing the initiative and deeply engaging in global AI governance, which has been widely endorsed and appreciated by the international community.

The 2024 WAIC has established a crucial platform for international AI exchanges and cooperation.

Following the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and equal participation, the conference has brought together representatives from different countries and sectors to advance AI development, security, and governance. It aims to develop an open, fair, and effective governance mechanism and ensure that the innovative achievements of AI truly benefit humanity.

The conference included an opening ceremony, which is also the plenary session, three main forums on global governance, industrial development, and scientific frontier, and 10 themed forums and several industry forums covering key topics such as AI governance, large models, embodied intelligence, investment and financing, education, and talent development. It also included AI exhibitions, awards ceremonies, competitions, and intelligent experience.

The conference has brought together over 1,000 leading figures worldwide. More than 200,000 government officials, and representatives of international organizations, industries, universities and research institutes, among others, have attended the conference and shared their profound insights and perspectives into global AI governance, development and practical cooperation. Together, they have built a broad consensus through mutual learning.

China’s active participation and significant leadership in global AI governance demonstrate its role as a responsible major country.

On July 1, the 78th UN General Assembly recently adopted a China-led resolution on enhancing international AI cooperation, with over 140 countries supporting it. This resolution, as the UN’s first on international cooperation for AI capacity building, fully embodies the core principles of the Global Initiative for AI Governance and the Global Development Initiative. It aligns with the high expectations of numerous UN member states, particularly developing countries, and represents broad and robust support for multilateralism and the UN.

The resolution plays an important role in promoting inclusive AI development around the world, and has won wide support and high evaluation from the international community, especially the Global South. It marks another significant step in practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind on the UN platform.

The unanimous adoption of this resolution reflects a widespread agreement among UN member states on the necessity of enhancing global AI governance through dialogue and cooperation. It also demonstrates China’s responsible approach and significant leadership in AI development and governance. It has proved that building “small yard, high fence” and exclusive blocs in AI development and governance is not in line with the trend of the times or the interests of all parties.

The technological revolution and industrial transformation driven by AI are nurturing tremendous new opportunities, and will undoubtedly bring more confidence and hope to the world.

China will continue to advance the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind and fully demonstrate its sense of duty as a responsible major country. Taking the 2024 WAIC as an opportunity, China will continue to follow the principles of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, actively participate in and lead global AI governance, and work together with all parties to promote the healthy, safe, fair, and orderly development of AI worldwide.

By Lin Lili, People’s Daily

Product barcode, the black and white strips with corresponding numbers printed on the packages of a commodity, is the the unique identification of a product, as well as an “ID card” and “passport” in market circulation.

In the first quarter of this year, China registered 4.13 million types of new consumer goods using product barcodes, a year-on-year increase of 9.5 percent. The total types of consumer goods in the country exceeded 196.15 million, among the highest in the world.

With this “ID card,” a product can be quickly identified and read by supermarkets’ cash register scanners, warehouse management readers, and consumers’ smartphone cameras. With backend data in information systems, information such as the product’s specifications, price, manufacturer, and other extended details can be obtained.

This enables fast and accurate operations such as searching, price comparison, inventory, and settlement, ensuring that products can be found quickly, accurately, and correctly in a vast amount of information, as well as the compliant, safe, and efficient circulation of goods.

Barcodes reveal the trend of consumption recovery in the Chinese market. In 2023, there were 19.64 million types of newly registered consumer goods using barcodes, a year-on-year increase of 19.2 percent. It marked the first positive growth in China in the past four years. Among the 41 major categories of consumer goods using barcodes, 39 experienced growth, reflecting a vibrant and encouraging picture of consumption recovery in the Chinese market.

Feng Bin, an official with the GS1 China, said that with the implementation of national policies to restore and expand consumption, service-oriented sectors such as tourism and entertainment are seeing a significant uptick. This, combined with a surge in consumer spending, is fueling an increase in the supply of consumer goods, he added.

“The stimulus from policies and increased willingness are the reasons behind the rebound in the growth of newly registered consumer goods in China. It signifies that sustained consumer demand is an important force supporting economic growth,” said Zhu Yanjian, director of the Department of Finance at Zhejiang University’s School of Economics.

According to statistics, in the first quarter of 2024, an average of about 400 companies successfully applied for product barcodes per working day. As of the end of March 2024, the total number of registered barcode users in China exceeded 1.2 million, leading the world for years.

At present, the increasing vitality at the consumer end is impacting the production end. “The barcode of a product is registered by the enterprise and represents the true entry of the product into the market. The rebound in this statistical data indicates that the recovery of the consumer market is effectively driving production on the supply side,” Zhu told People’s Daily.

The barcode data obtained in the first quarter reveals a significant growth in audiovisual and photography products related to livestreaming. There has been an impressive increase of 59,000 new varieties, representing a year-on-year growth of 124.4 percent. Notably, there has been a substantial rise in recording or digital media equipment with an addition of 24,235 varieties, followed by a growth of 10,416 varieties in photography equipment and 7,761 varieties in audiovisual accessories.

These figures indicate the rapid development of the livestreaming industry, which has forcefully driven the rapid growth of audiovisual and photography products, Feng said.

According to him, these numbers demonstrate the immense potential and vitality of the Chinese online audiovisual market, as well as the flourishing development of the related industrial chain. Particularly, the strong demand for high-definition cameras and professional microphones driven by the livestreaming business has injected new momentum into the audiovisual and photography industry.

By tracking the barcodes, it is possible to create a big data profile for billions of products, providing insights into industry development trends.

Looking at the growth of categories, in the first quarter, out of the 41 major categories of registered consumer goods using barcodes, 27, or 65.9 percent, experienced positive growth. Among them, the top five categories with the highest number of new additions were clothing, food, beverages and tobacco, healthcare products, footwear, and beauty, personal care and hygiene products.

Zhu believes that the accelerated improvement in the supply of consumer goods closely related to people’s daily lives, such as clothing, food, healthcare, and personal care, explains that people’s needs for a better life are well addressed.

In the future, the country should guide and encourage the consumption of services in fields with higher technological content, such as smart home furnishing, high-tech electronic products, etc. In this way, consumption upgrade will effectively drive the transformation and upgrading of industries.

Feng said that as China cultivates and strengthens new forms of consumption such as digital consumption, green consumption, and health consumption, and the policies promoting large-scale equipment renewals and trade-ins of consumer goods take effect, greater consumption potential is expected to be unleashed, which will further stimulate market vitality, and promote high-quality economic and social development.

By Tang Tianyi, People’s Daily

Athletes attending the Paris Olympics have entered the final preparation phase as the Games is approaching. And joining them on the Olympic stage are a multitude of sports equipment manufactured by Chinese companies.

From barbells to bicycles, and from ping pong tables to court flooring, an ever-growing array of Chinese-made products are making a dazzling appearance at prestigious international sports events.

On July 2, a service team of China’s Taishan Sports departed for Paris. The seven-time Olympic supplier will provide equipment for multiple events during the Paris Olympics, including wrestling, boxing, judo, cycling, taekwondo and gymnastics.

As the exclusive supplier of weightlifting equipment for the Paris Olympics, Hebei Zhangkong Barbell Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Zhangkong Barbell) delivered its weightlifting equipment to Paris in early May this year. Unlike those in the previous editions, the weightlifting training venue for the Paris Olympics is located within the Olympic Village, and all types of equipment have been installed recently. The Chinese company has also updated the assembly structure of the weightlifting platforms in the training venue to make them more secure.

Chinese-made products will be a standout feature in the table tennis venue of the Paris Olympics. Ping pong tables manufactured by Chinese equipment supplier DHS and ping pong balls made by Chinese manufacturer Double Fish have been shipped all the way from Shanghai and Guangzhou to Paris.

Additionally, Chinese sports flooring supplier Enlio based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province will supply the table tennis venue with rubber flooring and also provide flooring for the 3×3 basketball event.

Chinese manufacturers have gone from strength to strength, making their marks on the Olympic stage multiple times. Besides, they are also seizing opportunities at other international sports events to expand their market.

“In the past, the metal plates of the barbell were secured to the outer rubber ring with screws. However, during impact, gaps would appear between the rubber ring and the metal plates, causing imbalance and affecting the concentricity and stability of the barbell,” said Zhang Zhiguo, general manager of Zhangkong Barbell.

To solve this problem, the company established an R&D team that independently developed a press machine able to complete a barbell plate in just half an hour. This technological innovation has not only improved production efficiency but also eliminated various deviations. Once the new products manufactured with this machine were launched, they gained wide popularity in the international market.

After 40 years of development, Zhangkong Barbell has gradually made its way from a small family workshop to the international stage. Currently, the company is selling their products to 136 countries and regions, supplying equipment for over 30 world-class weightlifting events.

In recent years, Chinese companies have increased their research and development efforts to improve the technological content and added value of their products, striving for the transition from “made in China” to “created in China.”

As the first Chinese brand to appear in Olympic cycling games, Pardus bikes manufactured by Taishan Sports will assist the Chinese cycling team in Paris. With its own R&D teams and factories, Pardus has customized road bikes, track bikes, and time trial bikes for the Chinese team, providing strong support for athletes to strive for excellent.

“We design our products to meet athletes’ specific needs. Our philosophy is to make bikes adapt to athletes, not the other way around,” said Wang Chunqing, general manager of Shandong Taishan Ruibao Composite Material Co., Ltd., owner of the Pardus brand.

The Ping Pong balls produced by Double Fish for the Paris Olympics must go through 15 quality checks before they are shipped to Paris. They have smaller tolerances in terms of roundness, hardness, weight, and elasticity compared to the standards set by the International Table Tennis Federation.

The smaller the tolerance, the more precise the ball’s hitting point, and the more stable the trajectory, which helps athletes perform exceptionally. The stringent standards greatly test the manufacturer’s production techniques and testing capabilities, promoting high-quality development in the industry. The smaller the tolerance, the more precise the hitting point of the ping pong ball and the more stable its trajectory. This helps athletes perform excellently.

These stringent standards greatly challenge manufacturers’ production skills and testing capabilities, and would drive high-quality development of the industry.

The year 2024 is packed with major international sports events, including the UEFA European Championship, Copa America, and the Paris Olympics. Many Chinese companies are leveraging these high-profile competitions to boost their market presence and meet growing demand.

One standout example is a processing and trading enterprise in Huai’an, east China’s Jiangsu province. By innovatively embedding chips into soccer ball bladders, they’ve captured significant attention in overseas markets. The company’s success is evident in their fully booked foreign trade orders, stretching through the end of the year.

Chinese innovation is making its mark on the global sports stage. European professional soccer fields now feature Chinese artificial turf technology. FIBA officials have invited Chinese equipment manufacturers to participate in product standard certification. Chinese firm Hisense has become the official VAR (Video Assistant Referee) display partner for the UEFA European Championship 2024. These examples vividly showcase the ambition and capabilities of Chinese companies.

By He Linping, Cheng Yuanzhou, People’s Daily

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a mega cross-sea passage in south China, had handled 305,000 vehicles as of July 3, according to data from China’s Guangdong Transportation Group.

The 24-kilometer passage was officially opened to traffic on June 30, representing the world’s first cross-sea cluster project that features two bridges, two artificial islands and an underwater tunnel. Bridging Shenzhen in the east of the Pearl River Estuary with Zhongshan in the west, it has significantly reduced travel time between the two cities from about two hours to under 30 minutes.

The massive transportation project commenced construction in February 2017 and took over seven years to complete. It utilized a number of new technologies, equipment, materials, and processes, managed to overcome multiple world-class technical challenges and set multiple world records.

The link features a two-way, eight-lane tunnel that spans 6.8 kilometers under the sea, consisting of 32 immersed tubes and one final closure joint. It is the world’s longest and widest underwater steel-shell concrete tunnel, also one of the most challenging projects worldwide.

Viewed from above, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, one of the key projects of the link, resembles the majestic backbone of a dragon.

Such magnificence meant unprecedented technological challenges met by engineers during the construction, said Song Shenyou, head of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link administration center of Guangdong Provincial Communications Group Co., Ltd., also chief engineer of the project.

According to Song, one of the primary focuses during construction is to ensure that ships can navigate in and out of the Pearl River Estuary, as the link serves as a core transportation hub project in the bustling Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a major center for foreign trade in China.

To facilitate smooth ship navigation, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, with a main span of 1,666 meters, adopts the offshore steel box girder suspension bridge design, also the world’s largest of its kind. It boasts the highest bridge deck of 91 meters and the highest air traffic clearance altitude of 76.5 meters worldwide.

However, the bridge also faces substantial obstacles in wind resistance as it is located in the open waters of the Pearl River Estuary, which is prone to strong typhoons.

To tackle these challenges, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link administration center collaborated with multiple universities and research institutions, conducting research for over three years. Together, they have developed a new combined aerodynamic control technology that has greatly enhanced the wind resistance capabilities of the large-span steel box girder suspension bridge. The highest flutter critical wind speed for the bridge has been lifted to 88 meters per second.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has achieved full 5G coverage, providing passengers with strong signals throughout their journey, whether on the open sea or in the extraordinarily long underwater tunnel.

The ceiling of the underwater tunnel features an artfully designed motif with blue skies and white clouds. This eye-catching display is created by an array of uniquely shaped, colorful lights arranged at different angles. Apart from being visually appealing, such a unique design also serves practical functions such as safety guidance and color-coded alerts.

On the western artificial island of the project, there is a 55-meter-tall ventilation tower, the tallest single structure on the island. It functions as the “respiratory system” for the entire tunnel, said Zhu Dingtao, an engineer with the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link administration center. Positioned near the tunnel entrance, the tower works with axial fans to expel exhaust gas from the tunnel; in case of a fire, it can quickly remove smoke from the immersed tube, added Zhu.

In addition to the ventilation tower, there is a central utility tunnel that runs between the two-way traffic lanes of the underwater tunnel. It serves as the “nerve center” of the entire structure, home to various equipment including power supply, water supply and drainage, fire protection, communications, and intelligent control facilities. It also acts as a crucial emergency escape route, allowing people to access the opposite traffic lane for evacuation in case of emergencies.

In the command center of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, there is a digital twin platform developed in tandem with the project. This platform uses precise 3D simulation modeling technology to recreate a 1:1 scale replica of the physical environment of the bridges, artificial islands, and tunnel of link. It provides a real-time, 24-hour view of vehicle traffic and includes smart management functions such as intelligent vehicle tracking, driving behavior analysis, and monitoring of vehicles carrying hazardous materials.

During the construction of the link, an array of cutting-edge technologies have been employed to ensure safety and efficiency.

For instance, a network of fixed cameras has been installed throughout the tunnel to identify overheating vehicles before they enter the tunnel, track them in the tunnel and make immediate response if emergencies happen.

Weather sensors and meteorological radar systems have been installed to monitor meteorological conditions in real time. The information they obtained is then combined with weather forecasting data to predict potential weather-related hazards. This integrated approach allows for early detection of adverse weather conditions that could affect driving safety on the bridge sections and artificial islands.

Besides, there are 14 intelligent inspection robots capable of collecting data on the tunnel’s environment and the conditions of its equipment and facilities.

All these advanced systems allow for rapid coordination with nearby fire and rescue services, traffic police, medical units, and emergency response units to ensure driving safety.

By Xie Weiqun, Shen Wenmin, People’s Daily

In China’s National and Local Co-built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center in Zhangjiang High-tech Park, Shanghai, a remarkable full-sized general-purpose humanoid robot named “Healthy Loong” has attracted wide attention.

The 1.85-meter robot with 43 spherical joints can engage in fast walking, swiftly avoid obstacles, steadily mount up and down slopes, and resist impact interference.

So far, many prototypes of general-purpose humanoid robots have been launched in Shanghai.

In recent years, Shanghai has been exploring effective pathways with a reform-minded approach to accelerate the convergence of key artificial intelligence (AI) elements in order to build a high ground for AI development.

The city has been improving coordination mechanisms to address challenges in industrial development. “Innovation in AI requires us to stimulate reform vitality and provide more policy services,” said Zhang Ying, head of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization.

In October 2022, Shanghai implemented a local regulation on boosting the development of the AI industry, followed by policies and measures to advance the unified scheduling of computing resources, new infrastructure construction, and large model innovation.

The city is advancing multiple plans to support model innovation, accelerate the development of intelligent computing, and promote demonstration applications.

It is also working to establish a center for large model testing, verification, and collaborative innovation, an alliance for corpus data, platforms for intelligent computing scheduling, centers for hardware-software compatibility evaluation, and open-source communities for large models.

Shanghai’s Pudong New Area is promoting the development of companies focused on intelligent computing chips and humanoid robots, while the Xuhui district is fostering cluster innovation of algorithm enterprises, especially in large models. The city has also built large-scale intelligent computing clusters, primarily deployed in Songjiang district and Lingang new area, to support large model training.

Shanghai has formed a “4+X” cluster pattern, centered on the Zhangjiang AI Island in Pudong, the Shanghai AI Tower in Xuhui, the Dishui Lake AI Innovation Hub in Lingang, and the Maqiao AI Innovation Experimental Zone in Minhang district.

With an eye on both the present and future, Shanghai is rapidly building an open, secure, and vibrant innovation ecosystem. The city is creating a software-hardware compatibility and testing system, supporting the Shanghai AI Laboratory in establishing deeply linked software-hardware compatibility solutions, and promoting cooperation between the laboratory and companies like INESA (Group) Co., Ltd. to provide a basis for chip selection for the construction of the intelligent computing center.

Shanghai has also established an innovation center for humanoid robot manufacturing to accelerate industrial chain integration, create a humanoid robot industrial base, reduce algorithmic innovation costs for enterprises, and promote the standardization of components. The city is building a multi-level talent system and has established the Artificial Intelligence Industry Security Expert Advisory Committee to provide talent and intellectual support for the development of the AI industry.

AI technologies are being rapidly adopted across various sectors, demonstrating significant growth and potential.

SenseTime, a Chinese artificial intelligence pioneer, has launched an enterprise-level large model integrated machine that can simultaneously support enterprise-level trillion-parameter model acceleration and knowledge retrieval hardware acceleration, saving 80 percent of costs compared to similar products.

Shanghai-based AI company Intsig is contributing to the protection of traditional Chinese culture by using generative AI technology to restore pages and text of the Dunhuang manuscripts, a wide variety of documents in Chinese and other languages that were discovered at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu province.

Shanghai First People’s Hospital is applying Alipay’s “AI medical assistant” solution to provide patients with a voice-interactive “AI Doctor.” The SMC Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, one of China’s first dedicated incubators and accelerators for large-scale AI models, has already attracted over 80 large model enterprises.

From 2018 to 2023, the number of AI enterprises above the designated size in Shanghai increased from 183 to 348, with the industry value surging from 134 billion yuan ($18.44 billion) to over 380 billion yuan. The city is now home to over 100 large model enterprises, with 34 large models having passed filing procedures.